1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications. More particularly, the present invention relates to programming and sending a call alert based on a schedule and message generated by a subscriber.
2. Acronyms
The written description provided herein contains acronyms which refer to various telecommunications services, components and techniques, as well as features relating to the present invention. Although some of these acronyms are known, use of these acronyms is not strictly standardized in the art. For purposes of the written description herein, the acronyms are defined as follows:
Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)
Authentication/Subscription Information (ASI)
Central Office (CO)
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
Domain Name Server (DNS)
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF)
Electronic Key Telephone System (EKTS)
Enhanced Media Resource Server (eMRS)
Electronic Numbering (ENUM)
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Generic Data Interface (GDI)
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
HyperText Mark-Up Language (HTML)
HyperText Transfer Language Protocol (HTTP)
Incoming Call Manager (ICM)
Intelligent Peripheral (IP)
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Internet Call Waiting (ICW)
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
Outgoing Call Control (OCC)
Personal Computer (PC)
Personal Call Manager/Personal Communications Manager (PCM)
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Service Control Point (SCP)
Service Management System (SMS)
Service Node/Intelligent Peripheral (SN/IP)
Service Switching Point (SSP)
Session Initialization Protocol URL (SIP URL)
Signaling System 7 (SS7)
Signaling Transfer Point (STP)
Telephonic URL (TEL URL)
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
Uniform Resource Name (URN)
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
World Wide Web (WWW)
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
3. Background Information
Currently, subscribers to call control services within the public switched telephone network (PSTN) are able to initiate and modify their services by calling a customer service representative or by interacting with an interactive voice response (IVR) system using a standard dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) telephone device. These methods practically limit the number and types of services that can be provided to and modified by the subscribers because all information pertaining to the services is presented audibly. In addition, the potential market for subscribers to call control services is not fully exploited because of customer reluctance to use IVR systems.
There have been attempts to remedy the problems associated with IVR access to PSTN services. These attempts incorporate use of packet switched data networks, such as the Internet, to avoid conventional IVR systems and to streamline the initiation and modification functions. The current Internet based systems have several drawbacks, however, including the inability to ensure near real-time update of services and incompatibility with existing IVR implementations.
For many call control services, subscribers must submit requests, to the customer service arm of their provider to initiate new services or update existing ones. The requests are implemented according to the provider's time line and discretion. It is difficult for the users to gauge when the service alteration will take effect. Also, because the current Internet based systems operate exclusively from the conventional IVR systems, i.e., the two systems cannot coexist, customers must select either the Internet interface or the IVR interface. Consequently, a customer who has selected the Internet interface, and who is without a personal computer (PC) and/or Internet access, is not able to make desired changes to his or her services through an IVR. The inability to implement desired changes is especially troublesome considering that users are often interested in altering some call services (e.g., call screening, call forwarding, paging, and caller ID) when they are away from their home or business telephone and PC.
An example of call control services provided over a packet switched data network is described in CHANG et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,016, which teaches enabling advanced intelligence network (AIN) services over the World Wide Web (WWW or “the web”) through a provisioning system called the service management system (SMS). The service management system as disclosed in CHANG et al., however, does not ensure near real-time data update and is not compatible with existing IVR implementations. Therefore, the services presented via the Web are limited in functionality to the extent near real-time data updates are not guaranteed. For example, if a subscriber modifies an incoming call service, which blocks calls from selected phone numbers or classes of phone numbers, to add an allowed incoming phone number, the subscriber will not begin immediately to receive calls from the previously blocked phone number. Rather, the subscriber must wait an unspecified period of time for the service to be updated via the SMS. Also, as discussed above, the web interface and the IVR interface are mutually exclusive.
In addition to the above, it is desirable to have a service by which a subscriber can schedule an event and use the telephone system to alert call alert recipients at times and with a message determined by the subscriber. Such a service could remind a subscriber or other party about birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, laundry pick ups, oil changes, doctor appointments, deadlines, or other scheduled events. Using a telephone, subscribers could call into a flexible call alert service and access their personal calendars using an access scheme such as a Personal Identification Number (PIN).
Current call alert systems allow a subscriber to schedule call backs to a subscriber's phone number, however, these systems do not allow a subscriber to dial a group with multiple numbers, including numbers of those who are not subscribers. Moreover, today's systems do not include systems by which subscribers can edit their schedules using the Internet or other web based system.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art, as described below.